Scarlett’s POVMy brain felt too full to fit in my head. My thoughts bounced against my skull with every bounding step I took. Bennett grabbed my arm and pulled me along.“We can’t lose you to them!” he shouted. “Not again!”I pushed my body as hard as I could. My thighs and calves burned; my arms propelled at my sides, swooping through the air and sending me surging forwards. The training I’d done with Alpha Ryker’s wolves had made me fitter and right now I was bloody glad I’d tried so hard at every session.“What about the others?” I tried to twist back to see them. Viola – who really was Alpha Enzo, who really was my real mate – was in a physical jumble with Priestley. They were lumbering along together as fast as they could, but they were no match for the giant chasing us.With every galumphing step the giant gained on them.“Bennett,” I gasped, panting hard, “we have to do something!”“No, Scarlett,” he said, “you have to do something.” My eyes went to the manacles encircling my
Enzo’s POVI stared bitterly at Priestley. He was snuggled up with my mate, and she looked pretty damned content to be there. Her head rested on his shoulder; her fingers were tangled with his, their joined hands slumped in his lap.But… like it or not, I wanted to see her happy. If Priestley was who she chose, then I would try to bear that choice with honour and dignity. I’d tried already today by going to fetch him for her. I regretted it now, though, seeing the ease with which they’d slotted together. There was always something between us. Even at the very start, she’d been so afraid. That timid Scarlett was no more, but this one had been fed so many lies about me – not helped by my violent temper – that she didn’t know if she could trust me or not. I sighed.“They end up married, you know.”I turned my head towards Bennett slowly. “Ha, ha.”“No, really. Don’t you just think they’re the perfect couple?”“Not really, no.” I picked a sliver of dirt out from under my fingernail. “Me
Scarlett’s POVIt was the only thing I could think to do, the only made sense amidst the fog of confusion that had swirled around me for weeks on end. Getting away from Alpha Ryker had only served to add to that confusion and, once the dust of the day’s escapades were starting to settle, I realised what the outlier was.Weirdly, it wasn’t Bennett.Weirdly, it wasn’t the fact I’d blindly trusted him and followed this rag-tag bunch out of Desert Oak, my supposed home. Weirdly, it wasn’t my elemental power or the too-cold manacles I once again wore.It wasn’t Priestley’s admission of romantic feelings or the spliced werewolves I’d seen or even the damned giant that had chased us.It was Alpha Enzo. He was what didn’t make sense to me. And a mate should always make sense, shouldn’t they? He was the supposed other half of my soul, the other side to my coin, the light to my dark; he was supposed to be every beautiful ever said about two people in love, and therein lay the problem.We weren
Enzo’s POVI barely slept that night, too worried about Scarlett to let sleep claim me. I watched her through slitted eyes, my gaze shifting from her to the window to the door and back again, over and over and over. We were too many stories up to worry about someone coming through the window, but still I did.I wouldn’t lose her again. I couldn't.Wishing I was in bed with her, holding her to my chest, keeping her safe, I shuffled closer to the edge of my bed and reached my hand across the space stretching between us.She’d really wanted to sever the mate bond. I couldn’t quite believe it. I didn’t think she’d known which way to turn, lost and confused, and that was entirely my fault. She never would’ve gone to Ryker if only I’d been honest with her…I blinked back tears and rolled onto my back. There was no point worrying about it now. She was here, she was safe, and I would never let her go again. Not unless she wanted to.I sighed. Sliding out of the covers, I padded, barefoot, ove
Scarlett’s POVEnzo had told me about the too good to be true trail they’d found. He’d also told me that he’d wanted to rush ahead, and would’ve gone alone if he’d had to, had Davin not stumbled through the portal at that exact moment.Despite the distant heartache I felt for the fallen wolves, abject relief cut through me. Enzo hadn’t gone. If he had, I…How had I been ready to give up on him, on us, yesterday? I already felt more at home here than I ever had at Desert Oak. This, I knew now, was where I was supposed to be. “All of them?” asked Enzo, his voice raspy and hoarse.The woman in the doorway nodded. “Yes, Alpha. Every last one.”“We have to go out there,” he said, leaping up and starting to pace. “We can’t let this go unpunished. We need to wipe every rogue from our woods.”I watched him, my mouth going dry. He was so worried about me – would he still allow me to go with this new information? It didn’t matter what he said – I was going out there and helping regardless of h
Enzo’s POV“Isaak said he could be pretty scary–”No. It couldn’t be true. Isaak couldn’t be the traitor. I’d thought it, dreaded it, not been able to believe it – and here was proof that my worst fears had been realised. Sweet, young Isaak, who I’d taken under my wing, who I’d let help my wolves, who I’d let look after my mate, had betrayed me.Unless it was a coincidence. Isaak was a reasonably common name among werewolves. Please, God, let it be a coincidence…But I knew, deep down, that it wasn’t.I flinched. Scarlett was flung from my back. Shit. My eyes widened; I shifted back into my human body and rushed over to her, the blood draining from my face. “Scar?” I whispered, lifting her gently, “are you okay?I hoped nobody had heard the thump of her flying off my back and landing in the undergrowth. ‘Marla, edge forward and keep watch,’ I mindlinked to her. ‘Davin, do the same but behind.’“I’m fine,” Scarlett whispered, her voice so quiet I could barely hear it. A small cut lin
Scarlett’s POVI woke up in Enzo’s bed. I felt stiff and strange, my body placed flat on my back, my hands resting limply at my sides. I blinked blearily at the ceiling, confused when I saw the pale light of a spring dawn streaming in through the cracks in the curtains.What had happened? I remembered the giant, the portals, riding on Enzo’s back… My brow furrowed. With a trembling hand, I reached up and touched my forehead. The bedframe creaked with my movement; something shifted in my peripheral vision a second later.“Scarlett,” breathed Enzo. “You’re all right.”“Never better,” I joked weakly, squinting against even the dim light to meet his worried gaze.“You were out for a long time. I thought…” I didn’t interrupt. I just let us sit in the slightly uncomfortable silence that followed. Enzo coughed. “I thought you weren’t all right, is all. I’m glad you are. I’ll get Emila to check you over at once.”“No.” I bit my lip. “No, please, not yet.”“Okay. All right.” His eyes dipped t
Enzo’s POV“I’ve sent out my scouts to find Isaak,” I said, pacing back and forth across my office. Scarlett’s eyes followed me. “I can’t risk not having my Warrior Wolves here, not if Alpha Ryker is coming. Who knows when that will be, though?”“It sounded soon.” Scarlett knotted her hands together and nibbled on her full lower lip. It distracted me for a moment; I wanted to kiss her deeply. “Bennett wouldn’t have woken up like that to tell us he was coming in a year’s time, now, would he?”My brow pulled taut. I paused. “I don’t think he woke up at all. Emila induced a coma, Scar. He shouldn’t have been able to talk. I think it was his gift that spoke to us, if such a thing is even possible.”“You think it could be,” she said. It wasn’t a question.“Hell – I don’t know.” I shrugged and resumed my pacing. “I was turned into a woman, then – I don’t even know what after that.” I shuddered at the memory. “We travelled in ways that shouldn’t be possible. Then your magic turned me back. W